NASCAR Race Review: NAPA Auto Parts 200

Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The twenty-fourth race of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season, the NAPA Auto Parts 200, was raced at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This is a 2.7 mile nearly flat road course in Montreal Canada. Many road course aces are in this race on Saturday afternoon. Cup drivers Marcos Ambrose and Carl Edwards were not there for qualifying, as they were at Michigan International Speedway for the race in the Sprint Cup Series. Trevor Bayne, a Nationwide regular was also in Michigan. They will have to start the race from the rear. 22 Jacques Villeneuve starts from the pole with a speed of 95.800 mph and 101.800 seconds around the track. Fellow Canadian, 12 Alex Tagliani, starts next to him on the front row.

22 Villeneuve leads the first lap from the Pole. 60 Carl Edwards pits for fuel. 16 Trevor Bayne spins, but gets going, so there is no caution. 12 pits for fuel after four laps. 99 Patrick Carpentier pits for fuel, as does 6 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 38 Jason Leffler leads when 22 pits. 62 Michael Annett gets up into 7 Danica Patrick and spins. 33 Scott Speed leads when 38 pits. 32 Reed Sorenson has to come back in for a missing lug nut. 19 Mike Bliss is too fast exiting pit road.

81 Maryeve Dufault spins around the corner and tries to get going, only to sit in the middle of the corner as others try to race by, bringing out the first caution. 39 Luis Martinez, Jr. gets back onto the lead lap. 30 Boris Said comes in for an adjustment. 22 leads 12 and 66 Steve Wallace at the restart. 23 Alex Kennedy spins and there is a Blue Flag in that corner for the others to slow down. 53 Andrew Ranger blows up and pulls the car off the track. 77 Robby Gordon bets by 18 Michael McDowell. 9 Marcos Ambrose makes a pit stop. 66 is too fast entering the pits. 77 takes the lead when 22 pits.

The second caution comes out for 52 Louis-Philippe Dumoulin stuck on the track. 87 Joe Nemechek gets the free pass. At the restart, 22 gets off track into 9. 5 Ron Fellows takes the lead. Many cars are smoking the brakes. 9 spins 22. They both pit for repairs. 12 takes the lead from 5. 7 Danica Patrick is having brake problems and pits. The third caution comes out and 7 heads back into the pits with no brakes. 5 takes the lead after moving 18 out of the way. 62 gets by 18. 66, 99 and 62 are three wide and 66 and 99 get together with 99 spinning.

The fourth caution comes out when 15 Timmy Hill and 23 Alex Kennedy get together and 23 crashes. 12 takes the lead from 5. 60 misses turn one and has to stop and let everyone by. 5 makes a pit stop. The fifth caution is for debris (a tire) on the track. 9 leads, with 18 beside him. 77 gets around 12 for third. 66 gets by 31 Justin Allgaier for fifth. 81 gets turned around again, but this time she gets going again. Patrick Carpentier pulls the 99 car off the track and watches his last race from the stands.

77 rams 12, damaging the radiator and blows up the car, bringing out the sixth caution for oil on the track. 9 and 18 lead. 12 gets by 18 for second. 66 gets by 18 for third. 32 gets spun around. 18 drives inside 66. 33 is overheating, shooting water out. 6 blows up on the final lap. 11 Brian Scott goes off the track. 9 Marcos Ambrose wins the NAPA Auto Parts 200, a week after winning the Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen. There are sprinkles as the Checker Flag flies. There were seven leaders and ten lead changes. The average speed was 70.048 mph. Alex Tagliani finished second followed by Michael McDowell, Steve Wallace, J. R. Fitzpatrick, Scott Speed, Carl Edwards, Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler and Elliott Sadler for the top ten. In points, Stenhouse, Jr. stays in first. Sadler and Sorenson trade second and third. Allgaier and Aric Almirola trade fourth and fifth. Followed by Leffler, Kenny Wallace, Steve Wallace, Scott and Annett for the top ten.